Apr
13
Sleep, the best way to start a morning
Filed Under Healthy Habits
- Breakfast
- Morning Drinks
- Supplements
- Morning Workout
- Sleep, the best way to start a morning
To finish off our series about healthy mornings, I’m going to talk about something most of you aren’t getting enough off, sleep. Sleep is one of the most important aspects of our life. In fact, lack of sleep can have a serious detrimental effect on our lives.
Most people get by on about 5 or 6 hours of sleep a night. I used to get about 4 to 5 hours. It’s doable, but it’s not healthy. When you don’t get enough sleep, you damage your body’s balance. All your systems start going haywire, including your metabolism.
Some people think they’re doing themselves a favor by not sleeping a lot, after all, you spend more calories awake than you do asleep. However, this is a common misperception encouraged by our society’s view of lying in bed as being lazy. Your body needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night (that number depends on your gender, age and daily activities). It also needs a regular sleep schedule and a comfortable sleeping environment. You may in fact spend less calories during those hours you’re sleeping, but in return, you have more energy during your waking hours. This allows you to spend more calories.
We’ve all been there, a long night spent partying or working followed by an early morning wake up call. You’re bleary eyed, slow to move and your physical shape could best be described as “sluggish”. You may stop noticing it at some point, but that’s going to be you all day. You’re going to be slow and inactive. Not only will you spend a lower amount of calories through your normal metabolism, but being tired will also affect you in other ways.
First, you’re less likely to be physically active. People tend to miss workouts when they’re tired. You’re not going to exercise when you’re barely awake. Second, you’re more likely to drink things like coffee and sodas. You need the caffeine perk to wake up, but it’s only an illusion that will last a short amount of time. Then you’ll need another shot of caffeine and calories. Finally, lack of sleep throws your hormones into an imbalance. One of those hormones tells your body when you’re not hungry. There are multiple studies that show when you don’t get enough sleep, your body does not produce enough of this hormone. So you tend to overeat even though your body isn’t really hungry.
So do your body a favor and get some good sleep. That means:
- 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. Try to keep this amount constant.
- Go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day if possible. Your body needs a regular schedule.
- Sleep in a quiet and dark environment. It’s not just about the quantity of sleep you get, it’s also about the quality. Noisy or lit areas can cause you to sleep badly.
- If you have problems falling asleep, try reading a few pages of a novel before bed. It’s a good way to relax. If you dislike reading, consider an iPod and some books on tape. The rhythmic nature of words is a good way to be lulled into sleep. By the way, loud music does NOT work, although soft music does.
- Do NOT turn your bed into a work area. Your body needs to think of your bed as a place for rest and nothing else.
- Don’t oversleep. This is just as bad as undersleeping. When you oversleep, you throw your whole sleep pattern off.
- Talk to your partner if you’re having issues sleeping well. For example, I’ve had problems sleeping for years, but I only realized why when my fiance told me I was snoring and occasionally suffering from sleep apnea to the point of waking myself up.
- If you find you have an issue with your sleep, do some online research. My snoring problem was easily solved through a minor sleep position change and some weight loss. It’s amazing how much information there is out on the web.
- If it’s a serious issue, consult with a doctor. I wasn’t about to gamble on the internet with something as potentially serious as sleep apnea, so I went to see a doctor. She recommended some possible remedies and worked with me to change my sleeping habits.
Above all, make sure you get a sufficient and consistent amount of healthy sleep every night. It’s one of the best and healthiest things you can do in the morning.
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